


Warmth and Devotion

by ligur



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: During Canon, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Sickfic, Slow Burn, blood and injury mentions, lots of food descriptions lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2020-10-25 22:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20731517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ligur/pseuds/ligur
Summary: Link falls ill to a mysterious illness in Zora’s Domain, can Prince Sidon cure him before news of the Hylian Champion’s sickness brings Hyrule into madness?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love a good sickfic, and I hope you do too!  
Enjoy Sidon being overdramatic lmao

Prince Sidon can easily count the number of times he's greeted the Hylian Champion at the entrance of the Domain, but despite that, he likes to think they’ve fallen into somewhat of a comfortable routine. Upon spotting him, Sidon will call out and Link will break out into a sprint to cross the bridge, stopping just short of barreling into the Prince. From there, they wander around Zora’s Domain territory, enthusiasm abundant, shirking their various responsibilities. It is that sense of familiarity which is missing from their current encounter that leads Sidon to believe that something is wrong.

In the middle of the monsoon season of the Lanaryu-Akkala region, rain washes out most sights and sounds familiar to the Domain, so Sidon only manages to catch sight of Link after he had already crossed 3/4ths of the Great Zora bridge. At first, Sidon had mistaken him for the common Hylian traveler because of his sluggish gait.

Perhaps the weather has dampened his mood, Sidon thinks.

As he approaches to close the distance between them, what he sees confirms his suspicions. Link is clinging to the handrails of the bridge for support, his entire body shaking. His face is twisted in pain, and even through the blur of the heavy rain, Sidon can see his chest heaving with ragged breaths.

He rushes to Link, and before he can ask him if he’s okay, Link’s uncharacteristically dim eyes drag up Sidon’s body, lingering on his face before rolling into the back of his head. Sidon catches his limp body as he collapses forward. 

“Link!”

Behind him, two voices call out, “Master Link!”

Both Dunma and Rivan surge forward from their posts, their eyes filled with concern, to hover around Link and Sidon.

Their worried voices blend together in Sidon’s mind as he stares agape at Link’s unconscious face. He can see that Link’s skin has become reddish, and even through his cold, soaked clothing, Sidon can feel an intense heat radiating off of him. Something is  _ very  _ wrong.

Sidon silences the guards’ worrying with a single look.

“With your utmost discretion, please inform King Dorephan and the elders that I will not be able to attend the council meeting,” Sidon orders.

Dunma nods and hurries off towards the subaquatic portion of the Domain. Rivan remains shocked in place, his eyes worriedly glued to Link.

“I will be taking Master Link to a healer personally, you may return to your duties.” 

Rivan reluctantly nods and turns back to his position.

Lifting Link into his arms, Sidon silently chides himself for dismissing Dunma and Rivan so curtly. Link has made friends with most of Zora Domain’s residents, especially the guards-- they were rightfully worried about their Hylian friend. Sidon ashamedly adds this memory to the collection of times he was greedy with the Hylian Champion. He hurries as fast as he can to the healers’ center without jostling Link too roughly. 

\--- 

As he crosses the expanse of the Domain’s above-water structure, Sidon is careful not to attract too much attention in his fretting. He is thankful that had Link arrived well into the evening, and that most of the Domain’s residents head to their quarters around sunset. 

Entering the threshold of the healers’ center, Sidon frantically scans the main room for any sign of life.

“Hello? We need help over here!” Sidon calls, voice a harsh whisper.

At his call, an elderly Zora woman quickly emerges from a back room.

“What’s wrong?”

“Please, my friend is very sick. He just collapsed, not long ago,” Sidon says gently shaking Link’s limp form in his arms. 

Sidon lowers himself to give her a better view of Link. As he loosens his arms from around Link’s back and thighs, Link’s head pitifully lols to the side.

“Oh my,” she breathes. In a hushed tone, she leans towards Sidon and asks, “Is this the Hylian champion?”

“Yes. Please do not let word get out that he is sick, I fear the repercussions of such information getting loose.” 

“I understand, we can situate him in one of the private rooms.” 

Sidon nods and follows her to a secluded area in the deepest part of the healing center. There, she leads him into a standard looking room, complete with a table, some chairs, and a sleeping pool. Before Sidon is able to remark on Link’s inability to sleep in water, the woman lets out a harsh whisper and a couple of other healers appear from another room to help her pull out a water bed.

Sidon gently lays Link onto the bed, careful to set him down into (what he thinks would be) a comfortable position. While prone, Link’s ragged breaths turn into consistent wheezing. Sidon feels his own chest rattle with worry at the sound.

“He’s going to need to have his clothes changed, will you be staying in the room, Prince?” Sidon is shaken out of his worry and thrown into embarrassment. 

“O-oh, no, I will wait in the hall until he is changed.” He stammers and promptly walks out.

When he is called back in, his eyes immediately focus on Link. Link is dressed in a long, pale blue tunic emblazoned with the Zoran crest, his arms and legs bare. His hair is no longer plastered against his face now that it’s not sopping wet. In all, he seems to be comfortable, despite his wheezing and his reddened cheeks.

Sidon is pulled from his thoughts as the healer approaches him.

“My name is Myrna, and I am the elder healer in the center.”

“Ah, pardon my rudeness, I am Prince Sidon,” he introduces himself with a slight bow.

Myrna chuckles, “I am quite familiar with you, Prince, even if you don’t know me. I was one of the healers that worked alongside Princess Mipha.” 

A prick of sadness jabs at Sidon’s chest at the mention of his sister’s name.

“Ah, I see,” Sidon replies with a weak smile.

Myrna returns his smile warmly before setting her lips into a thin line as she turns to Link. 

“I am afraid that we are ill-equipped to handle Hylian patients at the moment. Hylian biology is very different from our own, and any literature pertaining to Hylian health was lost during the Calamity.”

Sidon feels his heart drop into his stomach.

“Are you not able to heal him as Mipha did?” Sidon asks, his voice barely above a whisper, and his eyes trained on Link.

Myrna catches Sidon’s eye as she turns to him with a slight frown.

“Your sister was a very special healer. Her healing powers outperformed my own by miles. She was the only one I’d ever seen able to heal a Hylian. The rest of us healers are limited to healing other Zoras only.”

Sidon closes his eyes and lowers his head, conscious of the rhythm of his breathing. He feels as if his heart could fall out of his chest. For the first time since his sister’s death, he feels like he could flood the land from the Domain to Lake Hylia with his tears alone.

Myrna gently sets a hand on his back, and he looks up to her when he finally finds the emotional purchase.

“All hope is not lost, my dear Prince, perhaps you might be able to find out more from our Domain’s other resident Hylians,” Myrna says, her features soft, and tone soothing and gentle.

Voice unsteady, Sidon replies, “Thank you for your kind words. I will look into it in the morning.”

In a gesture of gratitude and comfort, Sidon rests the crest of his head against hers before bidding her and Link goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: [Here's the art I made for this chapter!](https://ligur.tumblr.com/post/619170927874342912/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panicked and worried, Sidon goes to talk to his father, but luckily, the King knows how to defuse a stressful situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see :-)  
Hope you enjoy weird, too-dry humor!

After slipping out of the healing center, Sidon takes a back entrance into the palace to avoid any council members filing out of the meeting room. He heads straight to his father’s study, carefully plotting out his side of the conversation.

_ I apologize for missing the council meeting regarding the allocation of resources for rebuilding dilapidated parts of the Domain, but matters more pressing came to my attention-- _

Too formal.

_ Hey, sorry I was missing for a couple of hours but my bestest friend in the whoooole wide world is sick and I’m just about to join him with all the worrying I’m doing-- _

No, let's be serious here.

_ Please forgive my absence, but Link is sick and I don’t know what’s wrong and the healers can’t do anything and if anyone finds out who knows what could happen everyone will freak out and theforcesthatbecouldunitetodestroyHyruleforgoodand-- _

Sidon slams into the double doors of the study and unceremoniously falls to the floor, arms flailing.

“Where was this haste when the council was called together?” King Dorephan deadpans, gazing down at Sidon unamusedly.

“Father, I--” Sidon rights himself and sheepishly runs his hand down his headtail, a nervous habit adapted when he grew too big to hold onto it with both arms. 

“Master Link arrived at the Domain in a terrible state, and I took it upon myself to ensure that he would be well-cared for.” Sidon straightens his posture, chest puffing slightly with steeled nerves.

“Is he faring well now?”

“No… I’m afraid that he’s still suffering. It’s some kind of sickness. Something that our healers can’t fix.”

King Dorephan hums thoughtfully.

“I want to see if I can’t find a cure myself.”

“Sidon--”

Sidon kneels down on one knee before the King.

“Father, you may think it bold of me to ask, but Master Link is our strongest hope at bringing the reign of Calamity Ganon to an end, as well as… my friend. In order to ensure his continued existence, I… I wish to take matters into my own hands. For the sake of Hyrule. Please allow me to lead the efforts to help Link.” Sidon lowers his head in humility.

Speaking of Link in such objectifying terms leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but he didn’t want to make it sound like a selfish request.

“Quite the contrary, my child. I think this newfound sense of responsibility is very becoming of you,” Dorephan says, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He heaves a long-suffering sigh before continuing.

“However, I cannot ignore that you’ve neglected your obligations. I’m afraid I will have to relieve you of your position until after this issue has been resolved.”

“My… position?” Sidon asks, tentatively.

“F-father, I’m afraid I don’t understand, you can’t possibly mean…?”

“You will from hereon be placed on probation, and thus will no longer be recognized as a prince by the Royal Zora court.”

Sidon catches himself from reacting and waits for the King to elaborate. 

“Your redemption will rely on your ability to cure Hylian Champion Link of his illness.”

Sidon nods, with a look urging him to go on.

“My memory isn’t what it used to be, should I forget to put it into official decree that your position is suspended, then I suppose it couldn’t be helped that you would be free to do as you wish without any royal duties or ill reputation following you.”

Sidon can’t help but smile, even as he tries his best to look serious and play along.

“I understand the gravity of the situation, my King, I shall take my next steps with the utmost precaution.”

“And what might those steps be?”

“I will be heading to the Library to search for books on Hylian health and biology, and in the morning, I will confer with the Hylians Douma and Sasan about Link’s condition.”

Dorephan nods sagely. “Sounds like a fine plan, my child-- Sir Sidon.”

“In the event that I am unable to find any information, with your permission, I wish to leave the Domain on an excursion to look for a cure.”

“Hmm, I will allow it,” Dorephan says, squinting at Sidon thoughtfully.

“Thank you, my King, I will exhaust every resource available.”

King Dorephan nods.

“I will contact the elders to see if they might have any information.”

Sidon bows deeply and begins to stand up. King Dorephan leans forward to pet Sidon’s head with a fond smile.

“My dear Sidon, you’ve always had such a kind heart,” he murmurs.

“Do not fret, I am positive you will find a cure.”

Sidon bids his father goodnight. With a lighter heart and some freshly encouraged resolve, he makes his way to the Royal Zoran Library.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon does some research.

Sidon spends all night in the Royal Zoran Library poring over all the tablets he could find relating to Hylian biology. The amount of leather-bound books that the Library housed had sharply decreased 100 years ago when Hylian-hating Zora saw fit to dispose of anything made by or pertaining to Hylians. The majority of the tablets he gathered were ancient, with quite a few “facts” which contradicted what Sidon knew to be true.

One of the aforementioned tablets features diagrams of differences between Hylian and Zoran biology. Hylians are depicted as having an obvious lack of fins and gills, and growing hair as land-based mammals do. However, the ears on the diagram are labeled as “horns,” and the armor which Sidon assumes was the combative fashion at the time is described as “puncture-resistant skin,” and “protective shell.”

Clearly, whoever wrote this either had no concept of clothing or most likely never came close enough to a Hylian to properly examine them. The thought of Hylians simply growing metal armor like a snail would grow a shell earns a mirthful huff from Sidon.

The composition framing a clothed Hylian beside a bare Zora provides a visually stark, provocative contrast. Sidon doesn’t let his gaze linger on the latter for any longer than a cursory glance.

Sidon had never seen a… naked Hylian before, nor has he particularly giving any thought to the concept, but now he feels a little curious. Purely for scientific reasons, of course.

The tablet covers basic differences in morphology, such as the fact that Hylians can only breathe air because of their lack of gills, that they are smaller in comparison to Zora, etc. No particularly enlightening information here.

But, there is a certain section of the library that houses texts of far greater gravity than any of the others he knows of. From deep within the annals of history, special information had been recorded to be sacredly passed down throughout the generations—

How to kill Hylians.

Sidon pales at the thought, yet cannot bring himself to leave a stone unturned lest valuable information lay hidden in the most unlikely of places.

Fearing the worst— borderline fetishistic descriptions of sadistic acts carried out by cruel warriors, Sidon steels his nerves, his jaw tense with anxiety.

Cleaning dust off of the surface of the tablet, the text is nothing so cruel, yet the clinical tone in which Hylians are spoken about dispels a feeling of unease.

_ Hylians are sensitive to the cold; fighting them near a water source can lead to a slow, but painless death. _

_ Hylians have varied swimming ability. Though no greater than a Zora’s, some are able to swim with ease. When fighting inhabitants of water-adjacent settlements, expect heightened swimming ability. For enemies who have low swimming ability, coaxing them towards a deep water source with a strong current will result in victory. _

_ Hylians have all the same weaknesses to physical wounds as Zora, but with significant immunity to electricity. _

_ Prolonged exposure to the natural elements can result in the development of virulent sickness which is contagious amongst Hylians once fully propagated within a single individual. _

With such a dearth of information, Sidon has no choice but to accept that as being the most likely explanation for the time being.

His time in the Library was not completely fruitless, he learned a few things which would prevent him from making fatal mistakes by trying to treat Link like he would a Zora. Link’s body temperature needs to remain at a neutral constant-- long exposure to cold waters leave the body vulnerable to illness. In general, Hylians should be kept as dry as possible to prevent the temperature lowering previously mentioned.

Something incredibly informative that Sidon learned from a tablet that he just happened to pick up was that Zora healers’ powers operate on the basis that they can emit subsonic sounds that resonate with the body and soul of the injured and encourage the body to mend itself faster. Which only really works on other Zora. The magic which Mipha worked on Link was merely that, divinely bestowed magic.

Hopefully, the average Hylian traveler would be able to share some more detailed information on the Hylian side of things.

Sidon finds Sasan with Finley in a secluded area of the Domain, and before he can greet the two of them, Finley notices him and brightly chirps,

“Good morning, Prince Sidon!” as she waves excitedly.

Sasan turns in surprise.

“O-oh! Good morning, your highness! Is there something I can-- we may help you with?”

“Actually, my business is with you, Sasan.”

“O-oh, what is it…?” Sasan smiles weakly.

“In an effort to increase Hylian-Zoran relations, I have been looking for input on how to improve accommodation for Hylians. The first and foremost subject I am researching is Hylian wellbeing . Zoran records of Hylian health and biology are dismal, and the climate is not… the most ideal for Hylians. Should a Hylian fall ill, I would want the Domain to be well prepared to care for those Hylians in the most efficient ways known in the land.”

Sasan looks a little overwhelmed but takes a moment to think.

“I’m afraid I don’t know much, but I can offer things I’ve learned from my own experiences.”

—

Sidon has to admit that Douma had been  _ much _ more helpful than Sasan, giving him enough information to know that being out in turbulent weather such as the current monsoon season can make Hylians sick with the ‘flu.’ It made sense, what with the information he had learned about sustained lowered body temperature in Hylians from the tablets. She had told him of basic improvements he could make in accommodation to help Link get better faster. She had mentioned that there was no single cure for it, but everyone had their own remedies to weather such a storm.

Douma had offered the options of warm, easy-to-digest foods, lots of rest, and quiet. Sasan had mentioned similar things, but with the inclusion of warm bedclothes to help “sweat it out.”

Something which both of their anecdotes shared is that they mostly took place during their respective childhoods.

It would be nice to be able to treat Link to a taste of nostalgia, but doing so seems like it would be incredibly difficult. With the epicenter of the Calamity being Hyrule Castle, survivors from Castle Town were few and far in between. Even then, the odds of finding a descendant of one of those people who might know of a sick food recipe from 100 years ago are incredibly slim. But after all that, there’s still the possibility that it would be something that Link never had or particularly enjoyed, or it had already been altered past the point of recognition over the years.

Better to save that idea for a different time, perhaps during not such a dire situation. For now, Sidon puts his mind into considering what he would need to help Link get better. He would definitely like to try cooking something for him, especially given Link’s affinity to epicurean feats of all origins and rarities. If he’s going to feed Link, he might as well house him, too. That way he can keep a closer eye on him without having to sneak into the healing center all the time.

Well now, what do Hylians need for optimal comfort? He’s seen Link in multiple outfits, but how often do they need to change their clothing? How do Hylians clean themselves? How suspicious would it be to ask for the softest waterbed from Kodah?

With these things in mind, Sidon heads towards the healing center to check up on Link.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon takes Link into his care.

Sidon tries his best not to look suspicious as he walks into the healing center; who knows what rumors might pop up if he tried to look secretive. In any case, Sidon figures it's better that they be about him than Link.

Entering the building, he finds Myrna tidying up the front area.

“Good morning, Prince, I assume you are here for…?” She asks evenly.

At Sidon’s nod, she leads him all the way in the back to Link’s room. Before they enter, she pulls Sidon aside.

“I’m afraid I wasn’t able to learn anything new about his status through observation. He hasn’t regained consciousness since you brought him in, and his breathing is still quite labored.”

Sidon frowns, but thanks her for her supervision and heads into the room. He takes a seat on the floor next to the water bed to get a closer look at Link.

Link’s skin is pallid and glistening with sweat which beads at his temples and runs down his neck. Since Sidon’s last visit, the staff has covered Link with a thin blanket. His breathing is, indeed, still labored— Sidon can hear him wheeze on every exhale.

“Link. Link, wake up,” he murmurs softly, placing a gentle hand on Link’s exposed wrist. His skin is colder than Sidon’s own.

Link shows no signs of waking or any sign that he registered Sidon’s actions at all.

Sidon feels his heart fall a little. He gets up off the floor and turns to Myrna, who had been waiting in the doorway.

“Hylians are so different from us… Link needs more specialized care, which I’m afraid would be difficult for us to provide. Are there no other Hylians that Link trusts to take care of him?” Myrna asks.

Sidon pauses, turning back towards Link.

“I’m afraid I don’t know. If he does, they might possibly reside in the Hateno or Kakariko villages. Both far too long of a journey for him to travel in this state.”

Myrna nods in agreement, eyes shut in contemplation.

“I’ve learned a few things which might help him. I wish to take the task of supervision and recuperation assistance into my own hands. It would put my mind at ease if he were kept in the palace under high security until he regains full health.”

Myrna’s attention snaps to Sidon.

“If I may,” he adds politely.

Her gaze drifts towards Link as she mulls over Sidon’s words.

“...Pardon my rudeness, prince, but as a healer, I don’t feel completely comfortable leaving him in your care.”

Sidon cringes internally at her evaluation.

“But if it’s as futile as you say to try to find a Hylian to look after him, then I suppose you leave me with little choice. I do agree it would be best if he were taken somewhere more private.”

As the words leave her mouth, Sidon’s pulse quickens. He can barely contain his excitement.

“Please, keep me informed of his status when you can. Should you need me to watch over him when you become busy, do not hesitate to find me.”

Sidon briskly walks over to clasp her hands in his own.

“Thank you, Myrna,” he says with gracious conviction.

“Thank you, I’ll return later tonight to take Link to the palace.”

It takes almost everything Sidon has not to joyfully sprint out of the healing center. 

—

Sidon briskly makes his way to the throne room, head darting side to side to make sure that the open-air room is free of any other occupants. It is thankfully empty, save for the King sitting upon the throne. He situates himself as close to the King as he can without climbing onto his lap.

Dorephan, who had been watching amusedly, gives a low chuckle when Sidon beckons him to lean closer.

“Father, I wish to bring Link into the palace for his recuperation. I believe it would be best to try to preserve his privacy as best as we can,” he whispers.

Zora don’t have the same feelings for animal companionship the way Hylians or the Gerudo do, but Sidon feels silly— as if he’s a pup, asking to keep a pet all the same. 

King Dorephan hums thoughtfully.

“While the palace has no shortage of guest rooms, does Master Link not require special accommodation for his recovery? Our rooms are only fitted with the bare necessities.”

“His recovery will be more dependant on my actions rather than the quality of his stay, father.”

“Hmm, in that case, I think it would be most fitting to have him stay in your quarters.”

Sidon gasps.

“Father, that is a wonderful idea!” he says in a harsh, excited whisper.

King Dorephan chuckles.

“Please ensure that you have made the proper preparations for his stay, I will be leaving the matter of his accommodation to you, son.”

“Thank you!”

Sidon quickly leans up to nuzzle his head against the underside of his father’s jaw before rushing out of the throne room. To prepare for Link’s stay he would need a water bed, blankets, oh, Hylians prefer to use pillows as well, right? He should probably find extra clothes for Link, should he want to change into something warmer and less revealing.

For the rest of the day, Sidon ran all around the Domain looking for things for Link.

—

By the time that the Domain had grown quiet, and the luminous stones lining the filaments of the decorative spires began to glow, Sidon had gathered all he could for Link.

A waterbed and pillow from Kodah and a blanket and towels from the palace storage room were already set up near the sleeping pool in his quarters. He had placed a serving tray with a decanter full of clean water, and a cup near the water bed. Sidon wasn’t sure if ingesting Domain waters would make Link sicker, so he had taken the extra precaution of bringing water from Lulu Lake. To be even  _ more  _ cautious, he had walked all the way down to reduce the risk of his waterskin bursting during a dive down the waterfalls back to the Domain.

With his current knowledge, he was as prepared as he could be to start hosting Link in his quarters.

In the cover of night, Sidon steals away to the healing center. This time, Myrna waits in the lobby to greet him. No words were exchanged as they walked together to the back of the facility.

Sidon had felt confident in his plan— going about the task of gathering supplies with a pep in his step and a song in his heart. But now, looking at Link, he feels reality bring him down to the earth.

Just what has he gotten himself into?

Link looks no better than when Sidon left him last night, his body now crumpled up in a tight ball. Sidon carefully grabs all of Link’s possessions before gently taking him into his arms. His skin is cool to the touch-- uncharacteristically so for a Hylian. Upon settling against Sidon’s chest, Link nuzzles his cheek against Sidon’s collarbone. If this were any other time-- if Link was safe and healthy, Sidon would be gushing about how endearing he is. He can’t help but stare.

This isn’t just some vacation for Link, he’s quite actually suffering! How in the world is he going to look after Link when he barely even knows the basics of taking care of himself? Would it  _ really  _ be difficult to find a Hylian caretaker for Link? If he mobilizes some search teams now, it’s possible they could find someone within the next few days. Oh, and the guards would have to be briefed on the secrecy of the matter—

Sensing the anxiety pulsing off of him in waves, Mryna places a hand on his bicep.

“Everything will turn out just fine, I believe in you. He’ll be safe and sound, I just know you’ll make sure of it. I will come and visit when I can.”

Knowing that his carefully guarded mask would break if he were to respond to her, Sidon simply presses his crest to hers and gives her a shallow bow in gratitude.

With that, Sidon stealthily makes his way back to his personal quarters-- deftly juggling both Link and all his things in his arms whenever he needed to open doors, all without a sound.

Sidon places all of Link’s things on a nearby table, before walking up to the waterbed. He gently coaxes Link into unfurling his body so that he can lay him down comfortably. He adjusts the pillow beneath Link’s head so that it supports his head and neck. Sidon pulls the blanket over Link’s body, bringing the end all the way up to the base of his neck. Link sighs-- seemingly in relief.

Sidon lets out his own sigh of relief and sits down on the ground next to him.

He just seems so weak… and vulnerable.

Sidon knows that Link is only a man. He is a normal person with his own strengths and weaknesses, and just so happens to have a loaded reputation which precedes him by miles. The days that they had spent together acting like foolish young men without titles or pedigrees taught him nothing if not that. But Sidon had never seen him sick before. While Link had let his emotional barrier drop numerous times in front of Sidon, he had never, ever seen his physical body as anything, but invincible.

Sidon wants to be positive about this, that Link will recover better than ever. But the terrifying thought lingers at the back of his head, what if he can’t? Could the Hero of Time really succumb to a common sickness? What if it was something worse, like a deadly curse masquerading as the simple flu? There could be something far much worse swimming beneath the surface, and no one would be any wiser.

Sidon swallows thickly as he feels his chest and face heat up uncomfortably. The tears that threaten to run down his cheeks feel as boiling as hot springs.

He can’t allow the news of the Hero’s sickness to travel across Hyrule, so it’s not like he can reach out to the major established Hylian settlements for help. Not having many people to turn to for help is making this whole affair so frustrating.

Sidon begins to recount the recipes he had learned from Douma and Sasan to calm himself. Surely, keeping his hands busy practicing cooking for the night would distract him from any negative thoughts? And if not, at least Link will have a meal waiting for him come morning. He wants to prove to himself that he can take care of Link in at least some capacity before he leaves the Domain to look for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm swamped with work currently, but I felt compelled to clean up another chapter to update@@;;;;;  
I hope that if you're busy with stuff too that you'll be able to rest soon u_u


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link wakes up for a little bit, and Sidon leaves the Domain to look for answers.

It was a coincidence that Sidon happened to finish cooking right around the time the sun started to peek over the horizon. If his memory serves him correctly, Link had mentioned that his body was used to waking up around then. However, he had not awoken yet. At the very least, it’s been two whole days that Link hasn’t eaten, which— if not too long for a Hylian, is far too long for Link.

Sidon gingerly places the serving tray on the ground, trying his best to avoid any clatter. Absentmindedly, his hands over themselves and the numerous bandages swaddling them. Though the chef that he had asked for help was, by all means, an excellent teacher, Sidon had always had difficulty with tasks that require fine, detailed work. But, the small cuts and minor burns littering his hands were nothing compared to the flush of pride and accomplishment that he felt looking down at his completed dish.

To help fight off the cold of the rainy weather, Sidon had decided to use a recipe suggested to him by Sasan. The recipe was deceivingly simple, a Hylian rice porridge with a small assortment of wild herbs. During his first couple of attempts, he had miserably miscooked the rice. Then he had a difficult time cutting all the other ingredients into evenly-sized small pieces. Sidon burned his mouth multiple times trying to ensure that the flavor was  _ just _ right (or at least a close approximation to what he thought it should taste like.) Having learned from also burning himself using traditional Zora silverware, he settled for a hand-carved wooden bowl and spoon.

“Link. Link, I’ve made you breakfast,” Sidon urges as gently as he can.

No response.

Sidon loosely wraps a hand around the wrist of Link’s closest hand and gently shakes. 

“Link, you must eat, I’m sure it’s been far too long since your last meal.”

Sidon drops his wrist with a frown.

Still no response.

Time for Plan B.

Sidon moves to the top of the waterbed and gingerly snakes an arm under Link’s back and lifts his upper body off the bed. With his free arm, he folds the top of the waterbed up to support Link sitting up.

All the movement seems to awaken Link, who now is letting out an almost inaudible sustained groan. 

“My apologies, Link, I will leave you to rest after you’ve eaten,” Sidon murmurs.

Sidon picks up the bowl and spoon, and carefully gathers a small amount of porridge. It’s cooled considerably by now, but just in case it’s still a bit too warm, he’ll only offer a little at a time.

Sidon lifts the spoon up to Link’s lips. A moment passes where Sidon thinks Link might have fallen back asleep before Link stiffly and slowly lifts his arms to take the food from Sidon’s hands and feed himself.

Oops, being fed by someone else must be humiliating.

Link eats slowly, to the point where he even takes small pauses every so often to clear his throat and rest.

With the way Link is moving, Sidon can tell he must have muscle aches all over.

It must have taken him an hour to eat the small bowl of porridge, and when Sidon sees the bowl placed on the ground empty, he opens his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Link bolting upright to have a coughing fit.

He doesn’t really know what to do, so he just reaches forward to rub Link’s shoulder.

When Link finally settles down, Sidon releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Thank you,” Link mumbles, sounding very congested. At the same time, he brings up a hand to touch on Sidon’s which is still resting on Link’s shoulder.

At the touch, Sidon retreats his hand, embarrassed, and sputters,

“O-oh! It was nothing at all, my dear friend!”

A beat passes before Sidon regains enough composure to touch on the sensitive topic at hand.

“How are you feeling?” He asks carefully.

“Sick,” Link replies in a hoarse croak.

“Is there anything I can do to help you recover?” Sidon asks. 

Link turns away, his gaze frustrated, but unfocused.

“Dunno,” Link all, but mumbles to his shoulder.

As if on cue, Link begins to shiver again, and Sidon quickly, but carefully helps Link lie comfortably back after resetting the waterbed, supporting most of his weight the whole time.

Holding onto Link’s wrist, and massaging his thumb over Link’s veins to absentmindedly feel his pulse, Sidon watches his face contort from discomfort to pain and back.

“... Link, I must go, but I will return with something to help you feel better. I will be leaving the Domain, so I fear I may not be able to return quickly, but I will try to the best of my abilities. You have my word. If I do not return in time, a healer will tend to you in my stead. Her name is Myrna, and she’ll take good care of you. Please, rest in the meantime.”

Link’s eyes had already closed and his breathing back to a steady rhythm by the time Sidon had finished talking.

Having just gotten Link to both wake up and eat, Sidon felt hard-pressed to leave his side. He gets up off the floor, picking up the dishes and placing them on a table. Replaying the events of the morning in his head, Sidon begins packing things he needs into a satchel. It’s unfortunate that Link couldn’t remember what to do for himself, but then again, it’s not like he’s actually well enough to do them himself. The more Sidon thinks about it, it makes sense that he wouldn’t know since Douma and Sasan claimed that such memories are highly associated with childhood. If Link can hardly recall what kind of person he was before the Calamity, then he probably wouldn’t remember his childhood either.

Taking one last glance at Link, Sidon steels his resolve and leaves his quarters.

He has never felt less excited to go on an excursion out of the Domain more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that everyone is doing well, it's quite a world we're living in.  
I want to try to put more chapters up soon (and possibly even some art???!) since I'm home all the time now.  
Be safe and smart if you have to go out, and stay safe by staying in if you can!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Sidon's courageous excursion~  
Please note that I have added "blood and injury mentions" to the tags. It's mostly for this chapter, but there will be other mentions later on (I will note them as they show up!).

After going through the rigmarole of gathering more traveling supplies, informing his father and Myrna of his leave, Sidon is finally ready in all aspects, except emotional. 

Staring out into the rain-swathed landscape, Sidon stands next to the apex of the waterfall streaming down from Toto lake and steels his nerves for the long journey ahead of him.

Thanks to the constant rain, some areas of the region have been experiencing minor flooding, allowing Sidon to travel faster by swimming. What usually would have been a 5-hour trek-- most of it walking, is now just a little over a 3 and a half-hour affair.

At the end of his journey, is the South Akkala stable, one of the closest ones to the Domain. The other nearest stable is the Foothill stable, which is of equal distance to the Domain as the other stable, but involved winding paths with no easy shortcuts.

Sidon had heard from numerous sources— including Link himself, that the stables were hubs for information as people of all species gathered there. Given its proximity and connection to Upland Zorana via waterfalls, Tarrey Town would have been a viable option as well, but from Link’s stories, the people there don’t seem like they could be helpful to anyone but themselves.

A red glow emanates out from behind the rain-- even the overcast skies and pouring rain couldn’t smother out the glow of Mount Eldin. Keeping both the volcano and the Akkala Tower in his sights, he shouldn’t lose his way.

Sidon takes a running start and jumps off of the cliff. Skirting down waterfalls would be safer, as his sister taught him, but diving directly into the water below is faster. He speeds through South Lake Akkala, launching himself off of the top of Akkala Falls diving gracefully into Lake Akkala below.

Despite the massive rainfall in the area, the Torin Wetlands are one place that doesn’t experience too much flooding.

Sidon had recalled stories of still-active guardians roaming the area, and so planned his travel route hugging the eastern cliff face of the Akkala citadel ruins. Taking a moment to survey the area, Sidon finds no sign of any active guardians; only desiccated husks. He continues his path near the rock wall until he finds the small waterfall made from all the rain accumulated on the Akkala Parade Grounds draining off a sudden drop in the cliff face.

Any other Zora might have had an easier time scaling the waterfall, but Sidon’s large frame would have struggled to find enough purchase in such sparse water.

By the time he had managed to reach the top of the cliff, he was winded. Opting instead to walk up the neighboring hill, he fought to find purchase on the slick grass and slippery mud patches.

From there he would only need to walk around the slope where it met the top of the mountain, before being practically upon the stable. Even for a Zora, running in the rain was a foolhardy task— strenuous and barely rewarding, so Sidon maintained a sluggish walking pace. 

Through the dim of the rain, the stable lights glow warm and inviting. Upon sight, Sidon’s mood lifts out of a fog he had not previously noticed. The constant grey of the monsoon had become so oppressing that the purple of the ore covering Mt. Ploymus, and the green of the grass have been blotted out of view.

From the outside, there seems not to be a single soul occupying the stable, but as Sidon approaches the front counter, a Hylian man with a particular hairstyle returns from the interior. 

“Welcome! Welcome to our fine stable, we have hot food and dry beds at the ready.” 

The stableman takes his time to scan the entirety of Sidon’s stature.

“I assume that’s not your ideal accommodation, but at the very least, we can offer some reprieve from the rain. We also have information on the area, should you need it.”

Sidon smiles and nods, thanking him, before walking into the stable.

One of the first people he encounters is a young Hylian girl with the same hairstyle and uniform as the man at the counter.

“Whoa! It’s a Zora!”

A very young Hylian girl stands nearby the other side of the counter, pointing at Sidon.

“Gleema, hush!” A woman cleaning a table nearby pipes up.

“It’s quite alright,” Sidon reassures her, laughing. He kneels as far down as he can.

“Your name is Gleema?”

“♪Yes!♪ And those are my sisters, Tenne, Jana, and Kaifa!”

“Pleased to meet you,” he bows shallowly from his kneeled position. “My name is P-- Sidon.”

“♪Hi, P’sidon!♪” She sings, grinning widely.

The woman Gleema identified as Jana rushes over, scooping Gleema up into her arms. Angling her away, Jana casts a wary gaze towards Sidon.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to know your name-- without the exclusion this time.”

Oh. It hadn’t occurred to him that Hylians might be wary of stray Zora wandering outside of the Domain. He can’t reveal himself as the prince of the Zora in case rumor gets around he was snooping around Hylian settlements, asking weird questions. Time to think quickly.

“Forgive me, I was about to introduce myself as Professor Sidon, but I had been told by my colleagues that it came off as quite pretentious. I would prefer it if you could just call me Sidon.”

Jana pauses, thoughts visibly churning from the guarded expression on her face. The rain outside begins to pelt the earth harder, and louder.

“Hm, I see. Pleased to meet you, Sidon,” Jana says, with a curt nod. “Is there anything I could help you with?”

“Yes, actually! I’m researching Hylian culture to help improve Hylian-Zora relationships. It’s my specific area of study.”

“Well, we can try to help as much as possible. Would you like to have a seat?”

Jana lets Gleema down, who excitedly runs off to inform her other sisters of Sidon’s presence.

Sidon takes a seat at the table and his eyes immediately dart to the poster on the wall behind Jana.

“Um, was there something in particular that you were looking into?”

“Ah, yes, I’m researching the connection between food and health in particular,” he explains, pointing towards the poster.

“I have been told by a friend-- colleague that sharing food and food culture is an important step towards improving international relations, and I have heard that there are some Hylian cultures which have specific medicinal cuisines for the sick and injured. Zoran information on Hylian healthcare is extremely lacking, so with those things in mind, I would like to gather as much information about Hylian food and health as I can.”

Jana nods along to his explanation.

“For now, if you could share some recipes, it would be greatly appreciated.”

“I underst--”

“♪That one’s my favorite!♪” Jana pipes up from Sidon’s side, taking both of them by surprise. She points to the poster.

“It’s sweet, and warm, and soft, and--”

“Gleema, you nearly scared us half to death,” Jana chides.

“Come here,” she gestures towards herself and puts Gleema into her lap once more. 

“How about we share some recipes for cold weather with Mr. Sidon?”

“♪Okay!♪ I like creamy mushroom soup! It’s got mushrooms and milk in it!”

“A lot of the food we make in this season is soup. In fact, soup is the best to serve a sick person.”

“It doesn’t have to be just soup, anything soft and nutritious will do,” Tenne joins in, walking up to take a seat at the table.

“Yes, something healthy to help the medicine work better. It’s not good to have sweets while sick-- even if it makes the medicine go down easier,” Jana throws a pointed look at Gleema, who giggles, covering her mouth mischievously.

“It’s just about lunchtime, would you care to join us for a meal? We can show you a couple of recipes,” Kaifa offers, approaching the group.

“That would be wonderful,” Sidon replies.

Cacophonous thunder shakes the stable, and everyone gathered around the table collectively jumps in surprise. Even through the warm glow of the lanterns, Sidon can see flashes of thunder in the distance.

“Would you mind if we joined you as well?” An unfamiliar voice asks.

Walking into the stable, are what seems to be a caravan of merchants, sopping wet. 

\---

When Sidon finally leaves the stable, everything is pitch black. No moonlight is able to penetrate through the thick curtain of rain. His head full of new, interesting information and his new set of supplies tucked neatly away from the rain in his satchel, Sidon begins his return to the Domain.

The weak torrent running down the slope was nothing if not a hindrance to Sidon’s pace. Despite being an amphibious race, the Zora have trouble walking over wet surfaces, just like any other race. Lake Akkala is nearly in view when Sidon’s foot slips, and in the split second before he falls into an all-out tumble down the slope, Sidon brings the satchel to his chest to protect it with both arms. He feels like he’s rolling for a long time before sliding to a stop on his back.

Sidon sits up, groaning at the dull pain in his headtail, and looks around. He’s surrounded by sparse trees and tall weeds, right in the middle of the Torin Wetlands. He had slid far enough to have almost reached Lake Akkala.

Sidon is pulled out of his survey when he hears the telltale frantic, thunderous footfalls of a Guardian.

He doesn’t even look back before he breaks out into a sprint, putting everything he has into not slipping on the wet grass and slippery ruins. He knows that Guardians will give up the chase once their targets are out of sight, but as the second-largest Zora in the Domain-- and possibly all of Hyrule, simply crouching behind a tree would not suffice. His only hope is to duck into the water and dive deep enough and hope that it’s light beam will lose power from evaporating water.

Growing ever closer, he can hear the Guardian compounding energy, humming in a higher and higher frequency.

Sidon is only a few strides away from the edge of the water when he recognizes that he has no time left to run. 

At the last second, Sidon jerks to the right to dive into the water in hopes that the sudden change of direction would throw the Guardian’s aim off.

The last thing he hears before hitting the water is the sound of the beam being fired.

His body instinctively flinches, causing him to hit the surface of the water at an awkward angle. Through the pain, he scrapes up a handful of lake scum and clouds the surrounding water with it, desperately hoping that it, combined with the constant disturbance of rain on the water surface, is enough to give him a chance to get away.

Sidon spends a long suspenseful pause waiting with bated breath before he can feel the vibrations of the receding footsteps of the Guardian.

He lets his body fall limp to the bottom of the lake, exhaustion from overexertion setting into his legs and lungs. As the adrenaline rush fades, Sidon becomes acutely aware of the searing pain in his left shoulder. 

Looking over, he can see that he’s missing his left epaulet. There’s blood sluggishly seeping out of a starburst-shaped wound near the end of his shoulder fin. The middle of the wound is white, having been cauterized by the sheer heat of the beam. The area immediately around it is singled black, with patches of irritated, raw muscle peeking out here and there. A part of his shoulder fin is completely gone, and upon further investigation, there is a small burn on the edge of his left cheek fin. He also notices that his satchel isn’t anywhere in sight.

Swimming as close to the earth as possible, he approaches the edge of the water to feel for any movement. Once he’s sure that there isn’t anything nearby, he peeks over the surface of the water. His satchel sits in a puddle nearby, luckily in one piece.

Slowly dragging himself out of the water, he gathers his belongings before returning to the lake to swim home.

The more time that passes the more aware Sidon becomes of his tired and bruised muscles, and his injured shoulder. Scaling the two waterfalls up to Toto Lake takes almost all of his remaining energy. Carefully placing his satchel on a pillar of ruins, Sidon lets himself once again sink to the bottom to rest. The barrage of stinging rain irritated his wound and was beating away at the remaining patience he had.

Sidon’s gazes up at the shimmering water disturbed by the rain, eyes unfocused.

If his ‘adventure’ today was anything like what Link goes through on a daily basis, then Link deserved even more praise than what Sidon had already given him, just for getting through a single day alive. Even as the arguably most physically fit Zora in the Domain, he was feeling ragged. Dedicating several hours of his daily routine to combat and strength training was nothing in the face of a Guardian.

His mind lingers on Link, how courageous and honed he had been when Sidon witnessed his battle against Vah Ruta. Surely if the tables were turned, Link would have no problem doing what needed to be done-- knowledgeable, resourceful and self-sufficient as he is. As tired as his body is, Sidon’s imagination eagerly spits forth the imagery of Link tending to his wound; wearing a comforting smile while applying a gentle, yet confident hand.

Sidon, embarrassed, rolls his eyes at his imaginations. If that were the situation, he would feel ashamed to be a burden on Link. Not that he thinks about Link in his current state like that--

Sidon mashes his palms into his eyes to interrupt his current thought process. What a woeful habit he has of overthinking when he’s stressed.

Once again dragging himself out of a lake, Sidon mentally prepares himself to make it down the rest of the waterfalls to the Domain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm starting to get insecure about my writing-- I've had this chapter written out for months and I've read through it so many times, it feels a little weird to me now. I hope it's just that caged feeling getting to me and that this reads okay!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon makes a mistake, and then gets carried away~~~~~~  
(Gratuitous fluff inbound!)

Thanks to his short reprieve in Lake Toto, Sidon had enough focus to avoid being seen by anyone lest he face a barrage of questions regarding everything from his disheveled appearance, his late return to the Domain, or his satchel, bursting at the seams with mystery.

After managing to slip into his quarters unnoticed through one of the balconies, he lets himself collapse on the floor.

Delicately placing his satchel next to Link’s bed, He immediately reaches for Link.

One of the elders at the stable had taught him how to feel for Hylian body temperature, and so Sidon brings his hand up to Link’s forehead, gently brushing his forelock away from his face. Sidon had been vaguely aware that Hylian body temperature was generally higher than a Zora’s; he can recall a time when they had chastely brushed fingertips while exchanging gifts-- despite being an extremity, his fingers had felt unusually warm.

Now, however, Link feels as warm as a freshly forged Silverscale Trident, still smoldering from the glory hole. He flinches back, cupping his hand.

The movement wakes Link, who rouses slowly. Blinking blearily through eyes crusted from sleep, Link peers up at Sidon, who is already starting to spout apologies for waking him.

“Oh, Link, I’m sorry for disturbing you--”

Sidon is cut off by a long and forceful, labored inhale from Link.

In the dim of the late-night glow, Sidon can see Link’s attention dramatically zero in on his injured shoulder, as his body tenses suddenly.

“It’s really nothing, it had been all my fault really--,” Sidon begins to say, turning his injured shoulder away from Link.

Link looks almost frustrated when he starts to sign,

_ Did you fight a Guardian? Where did you even go that you could have encountered one? You should at least know from your father that it’s almost imposs-- _

Link sits up suddenly, coughing violently, the fit interrupting his coherent focus and wracking his fragile body. Sidon remembers what he had been told at the stable and brings a hand to rub Link’s back in small circles.

When he finally settles down, Link looks much more tired and miserable than he did before, his body swaying woozily.

“You’re right, it was a bit of a difficult situation, but it was worth it, don’t worry about me. I will take the time to ensure that it heals properly in the healing pool.”

Sidon takes the time to examine Link illuminated by the glow of the luminous stones. There is light bruising in splotches all over his body, with small scrapes on his legs and back, his face and chest are crusted with mucous, tears, and drool, and his hair is matted in clumps.

“Perhaps you should join me,” he mutters, far too loud to have been considered ‘to himself.’

_ Oh, Sidon,  _ he thinks,  _ now you’ve gone and done it.  _

His eyes widen, pupils shrinking in panic. He mentally fumbles for some way to twist his words into something less  _ propositioning _ \-- 

Hesitantly, Link nods.

O-oh.

“While I was gone, I gathered some things that might make your accommodation in the Domain more ideal than it currently is.”

Sidon hurriedly grabs his satchel and pulls out swaths of plush fabric of varying sizes. He felt particularly lucky that he had been at the stable when the group of traveling merchants took some reprieve from the rain.

“I was told you could use these for just about anything, so I’ll leave the assignment of their use to your discretion. I am going to remove my armor, and then I will return to assist you into the pool.”

Link nods, already in the process of taking what little clothes he has on, off.

Sidon makes his way over to his armory, trying not to give away how awkward he feels. He removes his daily regalia and places them into designated compartments within a chest.

He’s startled by the sound of a chair scraping unevenly against the floor. Looking towards the source of the sound, he sees Link bracing his weight against a chair, now only clad in a smaller cut of fabric tied around at his hip.

With all his effort, Sidon tries not to take notes on how to improve the Hylian anatomy diagram tablet.

“I apologize for making you wait, Link, allow me to help you.”

Sidon hurriedly stows the chest away and strides over to Link.

“Would you mind it terribly if I carried you? It would be faster, and I would like to prevent as much strain on your body as possible,” Sidon asks, trying to keep his tone light, and not as awkward as he feels.

Link transfers his hold onto Sidon’s right forearm, leaning on it what must be most of his body weight.

He seems to mull it over for a while before hesitatingly nodding an affirmative.

Moving slowly enough for Link to predict what his next move will be, Sidon carefully wraps an arm behind Link’s back and leans down to bring the other behind his knees. He raises Link’s legs slowly until he’s completely carrying Link.

Sidon thinks that Link might be embarrassed from the way that he is now avoiding eye contact, and maybe the way that the flush on his cheeks and chest look a little more intense than they were a few seconds prior. Link’s body feels like he’s burning against Sidon’s chest.

He carries Link over to the healing pool and takes a knee right before the sloped edge of the pool. Sidon gently places Link’s bottom half down onto the ground before scooping up some of the water with his free hand to splash onto his wound. He does so a couple more times until he feels the telltale tightening of his skin healing.

Sidon walks down the recessed stairs into the healing pool. Once he’s wading hip-deep in the water, he turns and slowly begins to submerge Link until he can place him in a sitting position on a step where the water comfortably sits right below his chin.

Link lets out a relieved groan without an ounce of reservation. Sidon doesn’t bother suppressing the laughter which bubbles up from his chest.

Sidon lingers at Link’s side for a moment on the off chance that he’ll have an unfavorable reaction to the heat. Once he’s satisfied that Link is stable, he wades deeper into the pool until he can fully submerge himself.

He was fresh out of his prepubescent years when he had begun his physical training and earned his own quarters in the Domain palace. He can remember his father warning him not to fall asleep in the healing waters as prolonged exposure would be harmful to a cold-blooded Zora. A handful of times of doing just that painfully taught him to avoid doing so in the future. As a battle-hardened, pain-resilient, tired, weary, sore, and  _ exhausted _ adult-- now with tougher skin, Sidon thinks that he can deal with the consequences later because it feels so damn  _ good  _ right now.

At the far end of the pool, he can sense a steady disturbance in the water, and upon investigation, sees Link splashing in the water to get his attention.

“Yes, Link?” Sidon asks, wading back to Link.

_ Would you…  _ Link’s starts and stops signing multiple times, fervently avoiding looking at Sidon’s face.

_ Could you help me wash my back? I’m really stiff and sore, so I can’t reach,  _ Link signs, his movements sluggish.

“Oh! Of course, my friend, I’ll do anything I can to help.”

Sidon moves to sit behind Link, and as he finishes settling his legs on either side of Link, Link hastily unties the cloth around his hips and holds it up behind him for Sidon to take.

“... use this, please,” Link mutters haltingly.

“Ah, okay,” Sidon replies, unfortunately awkward.

Sidon becomes acutely aware that sometime between Link getting his clothes off and now, the rain had stopped, leaving them both to ruminate in awkward silence.

The tips of Link’s long ears look pink, and his body seems tenser than before, and Sidon idly wonders if Link should get out of the pool soon.

Sidon begins by gently rubbing the cloth across Link’s shoulder blades, earning him a ticklish shiver in response. With a little more pressure, he scrubs at the scrapes on his back, working his way from the top of his neck down to the end of his spine. Link hums in appreciation when Sidon finds a particularly satisfying spot of his back to rub. At the end of it, Sidon hands the cloth back to Link, who takes it to begin washing his arms.

“Thanks,” Link breathes out, voice hoarse.

Absently watching Link work, Sidon remembers that the Gerudo woman at the stable told him that good blood circulation is important during sickness.

Sidon places his hands on Link’s shoulders, which causes Link to jump and tense them, but when Sidon starts to massage his thumbs into the bundle of muscles right above his shoulder blades, he  _ melts _ .

Link hesitates to continue bathing himself, distracted by Sidon’s movements. He pauses here and there when Sidon finds a particularly tight knot to knead out.

As he works, Sidon can't help but marvel at all the scars covering Link’s back. Among the plethora of streaks and odd shapes, are three scars that stand out. Three crater shaped scars the size of Sidon’s palm mark Link’s right shoulder blade, the middle of his back, and left hip. Sidon feels a weird mixture of awe, sympathy, and fear for Link. They’ve all healed over now, but surely, they must have been particularly ugly and gruesome wounds in the beginning.

Aside from his scars, Sidon finds himself appreciating the muscles of Link’s back. The way that he can almost pick apart which muscles band together is quite satisfying. Zora don’t typically have the same appearance when it comes to muscle because of the need to have a layer of fat between the skin and the muscle to keep them warm. Sidon himself is an outlier as a cold-blooded Zora because he doesn’t necessarily keep himself warm. Despite it being a fact, as well as common knowledge, many equate his muscled appearance for an obsession with physical combat— he had heard a few elders call him a ‘musclehead’ just out of earshot. Considering the way he finds himself admiring Link’s physique, perhaps they were right.

Sidon is massaging the muscles near his spine at the end of his ribs when Link ties the cloth back around his waist, signaling the end of his bath. Looking at Link’s back, he feels bad-- even with all of his care to avoid doing so, Sidon still ended up leaving Link covered in thin, red threads of scratches from his claws.

With a big sigh, Link leans back all the way to rest his whole body against Sidon’s. He looks down at Link, who gazes upward with sleepy, half-lidded eyes and a relaxed, satisfied expression.

Sidon smiles fondly at him.

“Link, you should wash your hair and face as well,” Sidon murmurs, gently wiping his thumbs over Link’s cheeks and eyes, careful not to scratch him with his claws. 

Sidon tries to loosen Link’s hair out of his ponytail, only to receive a couple of harsh winces in response before Link reaches back to undo it himself. He carefully wets Link’s hair and gently starts carding his fingers through it. With the knowledge that Link’s hair and scalp are sensitive, Sidon takes extra care not to tug on his hair when he runs into a matted clump. 

Using the pads of his fingers to massage the water into his hair, Sidon hums absently. Since entering the pool, Link’s breathing had turned from a congested sniffle into clear, yet shallow breathing. Now, almost completely relaxed, Link breathes deep and slow, humming softly in pleasure over the quiet splishing of water.

Link’s now smooth and clean hair shines in the moonlight cascading through the window, and Sidon can’t resist running his hands through it a couple more times. Link has all but gone limp against Sidon-- he might have even fallen asleep, but even if he did, he sits up straight as Sidon’s hands move to adjust Link’s position.

“I do believe it’s about time we get out,” Sidon murmurs, his voice a deep purr.

Sidon stands up and helps Link do the same. Link seems to be feeling better enough to stand on his own, and take slow, careful steps out of the pool. Away from the warm wisps of steam coming out of the healing pool, the cool night air causes Link to break into a slight shiver. Sidon quickly brings the large blanket of cloth over to drape over Link, helping him dry his hair and back as Link works to dry the rest of himself. 

“I will have your clothes washed, so in the meantime, I’ve brought you these to wear.”

He offers Link a long cream-colored tunic, the sleeves of which come down to his forearms, and the bottom hem, to the tops of his knees.

“I mentioned your penchant for wearing shorter pants, but this is all the merchant could offer me,” Sidon says, holding up the object of scrutiny for Link to judge.

Link takes them into his hands and he holds them up to his body. The moss green pants go down to his mid-calf.

Finding them suitable, Link changes into them-- Sidon turned in another direction the whole time.

Link seems comfortable in his new outfit, running his hands up and down the upper part of the sleeves. The pants seemed to have been a bit too thin and loose for Link’s liking, because the bottom cuffs of the pants are now rolled up to cling just below his knees, the rest of the fabric draping and pillowing out above them. In the time between now and getting out of the pool, Link’s breathing had become congested once again, with the cold air visibly causing his muscles to ache once more.

_ I like them, thank you _ , Link signs, before slowly making his way over to his bed and taking a seat to continue drying his damp hair.

“Please, continue to rest, I will make you something to eat.”

Sidon knows his meager stovetop pales in comparison to the palace kitchen, but he’d rather not make the trip down and leave Link alone while he’s awake. He starts up a fire in the lower compartment of the stove, placing a small pot filled with water on the empty space above it. Lacking the stovetop space to accommodate it, he places a silver teapot on the ground in front of the opening of the fire compartment.

Sidon goes to grab his satchel from the floor near Link, and makes quick work of preparing some fortified pumpkin, Endura carrot, raw bird thigh, and Hyrule herbs for a stew. By the time he’s thrown all of that into the pot, the teapot near his feet starts giving off the telltale whistle of hot water. He puts a couple of bulbs of Armoranth and a spoonful of honey into a mug before filling it halfway with boiling water. After letting it sit long enough for the wat er to become a soft purple hue, Sidon adds enough fresh milk to fill the mug up to the top.

Sidon rushes it over to Link, jostling him from where he had been on the cusp of sleep, before returning to the pot of stew threatening to boil over. Link snorts awake, barely grabbing the cup in time.

In his frantic hustle, Sidon hadn’t realized that it had begun to rain heavily again, the crisp moonlight which once shone into the room, now replaced by the soft, ambient glow of the luminous stones. He hadn’t considered it beforehand, but so many warm/hot things in a row probably wouldn’t be good for Link. Thinking about it now, he’s grateful the rain had brought a chill back to the room.

Snuffing out the fire, and serving the stew into a small bowl, Sidon feels his weariness prior to the bath return.

Handing the bowl to Link in his nest of blankets, Sidon sits leaning against the wall near his bed.

“Be careful, it’s hot,” Sidon mutters, letting his head rest against the wall, and his eyes flutter closed.

He is  _ exhausted. _

Sidon cants his head to the side to look at the spectacle known as Link.

Link is alternating between sipping on his Armoranth tea and blowing on large spoonfuls of soup before scarfing them down. Sidon is stunned into speechlessness, witnessing a degree of Link’s voracity he had never seen before.

“My, I’m glad you enjoyed that,” Sidon chuckles.

Link places his empty dishes aside, attention on Sidon.

“Thank you,” he mutters.

“Oh… You’re very welcome, Link,” Sidon replies with a smile.

Link looks away and sheepishly signs,

_ Is there anything I can do to repay you? _

Sidon hums contemplatively.

“You could help me put some healing salve onto my wound.”

Link nods with conviction, his expression suddenly more alert.

Sidon retrieves the pot of healing salve and sits back down near Link’s bed.

“How did you know I encountered a Guardian without seeing me properly?” Sidon asks, handing Link the salve.

_ Not to brag, but I think I’m the most familiar with the smell of laser burned flesh than any other person in Hyrule,  _ Link signs sardonically. 

Link scoops some of the salve up with two fingers and applies it with a sure hand in a thick layer over the wound. Link uses his free hand to keep a steadying, secure hold on Sidon’s wrist when he winces through the pain. Sidon keeps finding his gaze drift towards the starburst looking scar peeking out from under the low hem of the open collar of Link’s shirt.

To think that Link would regularly encounter, fight, and  _ best _ Guardians is enough to pull Sidon into a state of reverie and awe. He can only imagine what savage mastery of combat Link must have had to earn the hard way. Yet the way that Link concentrates on being thorough, yet gentle on Sidon, makes his heart feel  _ soft _ . In spite of all his rough edges, Sidon can think of no better word to describe Link. The way that the ambient glow softens all his hard angles, and shows off how smooth his skin is? The way his eyes still sparkle in the dull illumination? How beautifully his hair shines, and how silky it had been running through his fingers? His heart aches in appreciation for all of it. Sidon sends a silent prayer to Hylia in thanks for allowing him to be close enough to Link to get to experience all of it-- to experience  _ Link. _

Sidon is snapped out of his reverie when Link lets out a long yawn.

He huffs in amusement.

“Sorry for keeping you up, I’ll let you rest now.”

They bid each other goodnight, and settle into their respective sleeping arrangements.

Staring at Link’s silhouette, Sidon can’t help but feel like he wishes he were sleeping a little closer to him. Practically tearing his eyes away from Link, he sinks as far down into his sleeping pool as he can, in hopes of finding some semblance of restful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could have split up this chapter into something smaller somehow, but I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This fic is quite lengthy, so keep an eye out for future updates!  
I'll update sporadically, so thanks for your patience in advance!


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